1. Field of Art
The disclosure generally relates to the field of analog-to-digital converters, and in particular to using switched capacitors to dynamically bias an amplifier in an ADC.
2. Description of the Related Art
Analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) are used in many different electronic devices to convert a continuous analog voltage or current into a discrete digital signal. For example, ADCs may be used in audio equipment to make digital recordings of analog audio sources such as microphones, in digital oscilloscopes to rapidly sample an analog signal, or in networking equipment such as wireless and wireline baseband analog interfaces. There are many different types of ADCs, such as flash ADCs, successive approximation ADCs, and pipeline ADCs, and each type of ADC has its own advantages and drawbacks.
A pipeline ADC is favorable when a precise digital value and a fast sample rate are desired. A pipeline ADC contains several cascaded stages, and each stage produces a portion of the digital output signal. Since the stages operate concurrently, the pipeline ADC is able to achieve a faster sample rate compared to other types of ADCs that provide the same level of precision. The drawback is that the stages in the pipeline ADC consume a significant amount of power. Thus, it is advantageous to reduce the power consumption of a pipeline ADC while maintaining its sampling rate and precision.